TPHP (Quest) - Chapter 2

2: A Dangerous Stop

“F-for that?” Rigardo gasped, frustrated with the princesses’s foolishness.

“What do you mean 'for that'?” June pouted. “The poor kitty is dying!”

The kitty indeed looked to be in critical condition. Though it seemed like an ordinary black pussycat with no distinguishing features or special characteristics, it somehow found itself mangled and bleeding. The kitty’s fur was a mess, sticky with blood, both dry and fresh. It could barely open its eyes.

But even in such a poor condition it somehow had the strength to move its head against the princesses’s gentle hand, caressing against it, and purring in gratitude for June’s kindness.

“Oh, you poor sweet thing!” June cried and gently held the wounded kitty closer to herself, brushing her cheek against the pussy. She then looked to Rigardo and said, “Quickly! Get the medical supplies! And something for the kitty to eat!”

“E-eh, right away princess,” Rigardo bowed and hurried to the nearby second carriage that stopped just behind the main carriage.

“What happened!?” One man asked as he jumped out of the carriage. He had short orange hair, wore leather armor with chainmail underneath. He held the hilt of his sword, expecting trouble, and looked around for any enemies.

“Princess June!?” The orange-haired man exclaimed in shock when she saw the princess sitting in the field alone and unprotected. Two more men followed him out of their transportation just a few steps behind, weapons at the ready. Both men also had swords, one of them with short black hair, another with no hair on his head at all.

“Why—?” the bald man started asking.

“The princess suddenly jumped out!” the coachman explained to all the guards at once.

“Why is princess June alone!?” The orange-haired man shouted.

“We shouldn’t stop here,” One of the other guards said. “I heard there’s been trouble here lately.”

“I know!” Rigardo replied as he jumped through the open door of the carriage. “We’re going to be quick! Where did you put the medical supplies?”

“O-oh, they’re under the back seat,” the bald man said.

“You left the princess alone!?” the orange-haired man shouted angrily and rushed to the princess.

As the man ran through the grass field an arrow flew over June’s head and pierced the orange-haired man’s armor, impaling his heart. The man stumbled and fell on his side, his lifeless body slid a few feet forward.

“Ah!” June gasped and held the kitty close to her chest. She looked to where the arrow flew from and saw countless short green goblins emerge in the distance, from their cover of tall grass and hills.

“Princess!” Rigardo shouted and jumped out of the carriage. He and the two remaining guards rushed to the princess before the goblins could reach her.

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Little do any of them know that you are no ordinary kitty. Whichever circumstances led to you ending up like this, you were once a force to be reckoned with.

What combat style did you specialize in?